Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over
40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last
weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks
generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of
total consumption. Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for
an average of 28 percent of all electricity demand in Spain. Spain’s
wind power generation equaled that of hydropower for the first time in
2007.

In July the government approved legislation that will allow offshore
wind parks to be set up along the nation’s vast coastline in an effort
to boost the use of renewable energy sources. While more expensive than
land-based wind farms, offshore wind parks can take advantage of
stronger, steadier coastal breezes.

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Spain, which along with Germany and Denmark, is among the three
biggest producers of wind power in the 27-nation European Union, is
aiming to triple the amount of energy it derives from renewable sources
by 2020.